WRITING – MEETING – STAYING IN

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7 Thoughts on Death – Discussion Wednesday 1st April 7pm

When the coronavirus hit, I changed my mind as to what my March blog should be.  “The Bible is not the Word of God – it is more interesting than that” will get written at some future date, but with the pandemic I reckon it’s important to reflect on what we think about death – and how that impacts on life. 

Obviously we cannot have a discussion about it in the Bolton Pub, But we CAN have a discussion on Zoom.  Please join in on Wednesday evening at 7.00, and see if we can make it work.  I am asking people to register – you only need to do it once.  

Registration:  the short URL is https://tinyurl.com/srvas9p.  

The meeting ID is 942-786-813.  

The meeting password is 574752

Do join in, with video link if possible.  

Any problems, ring me on 0207 370 7431 or 07508 961 055

Has the Church got a Future?

Over the last months I have written the first half of my projected book, but I realised I needed to do some more work on it if it were to be seen by publishers.  So I re-wrote the introduction, wrote some historical introductions to the first few sections and wrote a connected narrative for all the political and economic events of this century.  Sadly the London Book Fair of 11th where my agent Helen was going to approach publishers was cancelled.  So what next?  Will the pandemic change the value of the book?  I think not.  It makes clearer the need to think radically about the Church and the Faith.

Discovering Psalms as Prayer 

Almost ready to launch my book on the Psalms.  I had thought of launching it at St Mary Abbot’s during  ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ week at the end of May.  Now that is off the menu, I will launch it via a meeting on Zoom or Facebook live.  First I had to sort out copyright questions with the copyright holders of the NRSV and of the Church of England’s liturgy books.  20% of the book is made up of Bible quotations, and they agreed I could publish with no  fee.  (That’s a relief, because I found sending money to the USA for ‘Job’ a nightmare!)  But I had to change all the citations so that NRSV was credited each time.  Hymns Ancient & Modern, who hold the copyright for Night Prayer charged me £30.

Last Meetings 

What a strange month this has been.  Looking back it is less than three weeks since we were living a life that now seems quite remote.

Holy Communion 

I had communion on Sunday 1st at St Augustine’s HTB church.  The next Sunday I was at St Michal’s Convent, Gerrards Cross, where I took part in a delightful Clown Weekend, see photo.  On 15th I took the services at St James and at St Clements, where I spoke on the Christian attitude to death.  I also took part in the simple service at St Mary Abbot’s Kensington on three Mondays.  It was the last service before the pandemic regulation closed us all down.  However, yesterday Linda and I had a short communion service in our front room.  Is this a way forward?  And can we share it e.g. on Zoom? 

Prayer Together

On Friday 6th I went to the Women’s World Day of Prayer, this year prepared by women of Zimbabwe – quite excellent.  The following Wednesday I went to Twickenham for a Clergy Quiet Day, led movingly by a priest/poet Malcom Guite.

Jerusalem – Yes – No? – No!

On 9th a group of 6 of us who were going to Jerusalem on 21st March met to consider possible postponing the trip.  A week later it was clear that it was not going to happen.  I hope we might be able to go in October, but who knows?

German at last?

On Sunday 15th Linda and I travelled to Cambridge for lunch with my brother Martin and Ros.  We had hoped to go to a talk about Syria, but that was cancelled.  However, Martin did give me the documents needed for me to apply for German citizenship.  I already had Dad’s birth certificate.  So on Tuesday I cycled to the German embassy in Belgrave Square and submitted my application.  It is straightforward because my father was still German when I as born.  But so many have applied that I will only hear in two years’ time.  Meanwhile I have dusted off my German learning books to try “mein Deutsch zu verbessern”.  The social isolation could help.

Mothering Sunday 

Clearly Linda could not go down to visit her parents in Plympton.  But I was able to drive to Sutton and bring our son Peter (25) to have a Mothering Sunday lunch together.  It was great!  The first time we have had Mothering Sunday together for years.  It probably wouldn’t happen now.

Entertainment In

Actually Linda and I are quite enjoying our social isolation.  Linda is working from home as normal.  We are having breakfast, lunch and dinner together every day, and when it is  sunny, we sit out on our balcony to eat, and wave to our neighbour across the  way.  I am catching up with friends and family by phone.  We are enjoying serials and films in the evening.  Highlights were the 2006 Japanese film “Departures”, a lovely gentle and respectful film about caring for the dead and therefore the living.  The short series “Guilt” was excellent as more and more skeletons came out of everyone’s cupboard.  If you saw it, what did you think of the last shot?  Email me and tell me what you thought it meant.

And do sign up for the Zoom meeting on Wednesday!